by Data East, 1985

STATUS: No Longer In the Collection

Post from old site last updated 1/21/2004

Description of game:

Nice dedicated Shootout cabinet. Game is a "third person" view shooter, where the player remains along the bottom of the screen and aims to different locations to shoot Mafia gangsters or bonus targets.

Different games that this cabinet plays:

Dedicated cabinet, but shares same wiring configuration as Commando and a few other games. Must rotate monitor to vertical position for Commando.

How I got it:

Got this game along with a few others in my bulk buy of Feb 2003. This was the only game I got that was original, and ironically I thought about converting it to a Commando. The game worked great when I got it, other than some necessary adjustments to the leaf switches on the joystick. One cool thing about this game is that it has the cleanest monitor chassis I’ve ever seen. Too bad it has burn in on the tube. I thought about trying my first tube swap with this. Look how clean the cabinet is on this game!

Recent repairs:

Installed locks and adjusted the leaf switches on the joystick. I also turned off that awful attract mode sound.

What it still needs:

Needs a small patch of black paint replaced on the side where it is bare wood. Could also use a better control panel overlay and joystick knob that looks new.

Final Thoughts:

Not really a big Shootout fan so I sold it to free up some valuable space.

Links:

KLOV Shootout Page

Screen Shots:

STATUS: No Longer In the Collection

Post from old site last updated 4/5/2000. This is the first of my THREE (so far…) Pole Position cabinets that I’ve owned.

How I got it:

Picked this game up from a local operator while picking up some other supplies. It did not include the boards, but had everything else. I eventually traded an old monitor for a couple of boardsets (including a PP2) that did not work, and found a replacement dash cover since this one had too many burn marks in it. One quick note - check out the mouse nest I found behind the marquee in the 3rd pic to the left. Luckily, the occupant moved out quite a while ago.

What it still needed when I sold it:

After looking into the difficulty of fixing a Pole Position, as well as the bulk of the game (WAY too heavy), I decided to sell it as a project. I’m glad I did, because I ended up selling it to Jeff Bovee from Hastings, Michigan. Jeff and I have started to work together on other projects as a result.

Who has it now:

Jeff got the game running after finding another boardset. He still has to get the Pole Position 2 boardset working, but hasn’t been able to since his daughter won’t let him shut the game down to try it out. It’s her favorite!

Final Thoughts:

Fun race game, but a little too big for me. Also heard that they are a pain to keep running. Don’t need another game that is broken more than it is playable.

KLOV Link:

Pole Position

Screen Shots:

by Atari, 1976

STATUS: No Longer In the Collection

Post from old site last updated 2/29/2004

Description of game:

Old B&W driving classic. Instead of a road to navigate, you have to stay within the reflector markers on the left and right. Was a really ingenious way of making a driving game back before good graphics were in use. This also was a hit on the Atari 2600 because of its graphic limitations.

Different games that this cabinet plays:

Dedicated cabinet only for Night Driver

How I got it:

My Mom actually bought this for me! She picked it up at a yard sale for $15. The guy she bought if from said it worked fine until one day when it went "poof!". Turns out it was a bad monitor. As for the cabinet, it looks like it took some water damage. The cab is actually falling apart at the bottom (that’s why there is twine around the base in the pics). Hopefully it can be repaired without too much effort. The sideart looks pretty good, so I didn’t want to screw it up too much. Check out the third pic on the left. Looks like a racoon lived on it for a while. At least that is what the footprints look like.

Recent repairs:

Just turned it on to see a bad monitor. The sounds (as bad as they are) indicate that it works properly. I can actually get it to play, until I hear the horrible crash sound.

What it still needed when I sold it:

Needed the monitor repaired, and I got rid of it before I learned how to repair them. One of my early collecting casualties! Also needed a bit of cabinet work since it was starting to come apart.

Who has it now:

Actually gave it away to another collector because I needed the space and repairing it was beyond my capabilities at the time.

Final Thoughts:

Kind of cool to get a driving game. I actually really like this game. Haven’t played it for about 15 years, so I don’t even know how good I am any more. Just a shame it had to go before I learned enough to fix it!

Links:

KLOV Night Driver Page

Screen Shots:

by Midway, 1981

STATUS: No Longer In the Collection

Post from old site last updated 2/28/2004

View my Kick Restoration Photos Here

Description of game:

Nice dedicated cabinet with one of the earlier versions of this game. It was later renamed Kickman to capitalize on the Pac-Man craze that was sweeping the country. It was a nice game with great stereo music. You control a clown on a unicycle who had to either catch or pop balloons with his head. If you missed catching a balloon that was falling, you could Kick the balloon back up in the air to try again.

How I got it:

Got this game way back when I bought my Joust. It was totally dead, and I haven’t messed with it in over six years (too busy with other projects). Was going to make it into a MAME cabinet, but I decided it was in too good of shape to ruin. I’ll get some other generic cab to mess with that project.

Repairs:

Not so fast! The game died again! This time I ended up replacing a fuse and installing a Bob Roberts power supply repair kit, and it is working great again. Hopefully for a while!

After numerous attempts at getting this machine running spanning six years, I finally had it working great! When I originally got the machine, the monitor was destroyed. I first gutted the cabinet to clean it inside and out, replaced the monitor, replaced a capacitor that was known to be installed backwards on early PCB’s, and made a new video cable. Check out the pictures I took as I worked on this machine by clicking the link at the top of the page.

I put on some new T-Molding and the game looked great. I really like how the monitor is mounted flat and reflected in the mirror. I’m glad I did not have to reverse any yoke wires to get it to produce a mirror image. It did it automatically from the PCB signal.

What it still needed when I sold it:

This cabinet could use some touch up in the painted areas. I think it could also use a nice set of NOS or reproduced cardboard bezels that are around the monitor. The original ones are a bit stained from being unprotected printed cardboard. They did not have a finish that could hold up to 22 years of dust!

Who has it now:

Sold this to Chris White from Tennessee. He came all the way up here for a bootleg Donkey Kong Jr. I sold him on ebay. His wife loves this game, so I’m glad it helped make the trip worthwhile!

Final Thoughts:

A great addition to anyone’s gameroon. The kids loved the clown theme. They did have some problems using the one axis trackball because it pinched their fingers in the control panel! Decided that wouldn’t do, so it had to give up a spot in the arcade.

Links:

KLOV Kick Page - Note the picture is of this actual cabinet!

Screen Shots:

by Bally/Midway, 1983

STATUS: No Longer In the Collection

Post from old site last updated 2/13/2004

Description of game:

Jr. Pac-Man was one of the many Pac-Man sequels that came out after Pac-Man was so successful. As you can see from the pictures, this game is a conversion of an original Pac-Man. I really like Jr. Pac-Man. It is one of the best versions of Pac-Man out there. It’s even good on the Atari 2600! Much of the original Pac-Man artwork was still on it, with just a few Jr. Pac pieces on the cabinet.

Different games that this cabinet plays:

Not really sure. The original Pac-Man harness was replaced when the conversion was done.

How I got it:

This was the first game loaded up in my March 2000 bulk buy. It was also the only game I brought home that did not work when I plugged it in. It’s in a Pac-Man cabinet, with just the front kick panel overlay, control panel overlay, and marquee changed. I was thinking about restoring this to a Pac-Man, and tried to find a Multi-Pac PCB for it. I ended up trading it for a couple project cabinets - Robotron and Berzerk.

Recent repairs:

As I mentioned it didn’t come up when I turned it on. After replacing the power supply, it still didn’t work. Finally figured out that one of the fuse holders by the isolation transformer was broken. I fixed that and Boom! Jr. Pac-Man! I removed the “speed up chip” by putting in a slow ROM to get it to play as it was intended to.

I then installed a new cap kit. The monitor is a WG 4600, and kind of a pain in the butt. I needed to spend some serious time adjusting the convergence but never got around to it.

What it still needed when I sold it:

The monitor could really use some adjustment to the convergence to get it tuned in better. It also needed to be repainted because it had better days. Could also use a full set of Jr. Pac artwork if it was going to stay a Jr. Pac.

Who has it now:

Made the trade with Pete Mathis. He got the better end of the deal, but I finally got a "start" on a Berzerk

Final Thoughts:

I’ve wanted a Pac game for years. Finally had one. Jr. is a really fun title in the series, but had to let it go for better games.

Personal High Score:

42,200 ( 07-24-2000) - Hard to get used to playing with the slow chip!

Links:

KLOV Jr. Pac-Man Page

Screen Shots:

by Midway, 1981

STATUS: No Longer In the Collection

Post from old site last updated 3/02/2004

Description of game:

Old-time classic game by Midway. Made up of multiple screens per level, a couple taken from some other great Midway Licensed games (Space Invaders,Galaxian)

Different games that this cabinet plays:

This is a dedicated machine for Gorf only.

How I got it:

I purchased this game in a small bulk deal in March 2003. The deal came with Gorf, Super Breakout, a bootleg Donkey Kong Jr. cabaret, a unknown poker cabaret, and a Joker Poker converted from a Missile Command. This was the game of the deal that I wanted. Ended up getting rid of every game from this buy except one of the poker cabinets, which became my miniMAME.

Recent repairs:

Once I got it home I spent a long while cleaning it up. Tested it out and the PCB was not working (what else is new with Gorf machines?). Sent it to Commander Dave for repair. He checked it out and swapped out the pattern board and repaired the CPU board for me. This was all done for a fantastic price. I highly recommend him for anyone who owns a Gorf. He can be found roaming the RGVAC boards in Usenet.

To finish it up, I replaced all the bulbs in it. I also put on a different control panel that did not have all the graphics worn off of it (the only panel I’ve ever seen with all the graphics!). Finally replaced the RGB PCB to get a better picture.

What it still needed when I sold it:

Could use some new graphics to freshen it up. Other than that it works great.

Who has it now:

Ted Davitian from West Virginia.

Final Thoughts:

I used to play this game all the time as a kid! I love how it is actually five distinct games wrapped into one. Probably would have kept it if I didn’t have space limitations

Personal High Scores:

Not good enough to publish

Links:

KLOV Gorf Page

Screen Shots:

by Cinematronics, 1983

STATUS:No Longer In the Collection

Post from old site last updated 1/20/2004

Description of game:

One of the first laserdisc arcade games! Sure made a splash in the arcades. Most of the one’s I saw when they first came out had an additional monitor mounted on top so that everyone could see the graphics. Hard to play. Basically a memorization of correct moves. VERY popular collectors’ item.

Different games that this cabinet plays:

Dedicated cabinet for Dragon’s Lair. Can play Space Ace with a ROM and laserdisc swap.

How I got it:

This is the jewel in the 2000 bulk buy. Really got a nice machine. The marquee looks new, there are only a few small nicks in the sideart, and the control panel only has a couple small burns and slight splitting at the fold. Checked the machine inside and out before turning it on. The game fired up right away.

Recent repairs:

Finished cleaning the optics in the LD-V1000 player, and it now works great!

What it still needed when I sold it:

Absolutely nothing! This was in great shape!

Who has it now:

A lucky Ebay buyer from Cleveland. I admire him, because he is rebuilding his favorite arcade from the 80’s. Great Plan!

Final Thoughts:

Unbelievable find! This was THE cutting edge game of its time, and still commands a devoted following. Hate to admit it, but since I’m not a huge Dragon’s Lair guy so it is now in someone else’s collection. Will play my "arcade accurate" PC version in my miniMAME cabinet.

Personal High Score:

None.

Link:

KLOV Dragon’s Lair Page

Digital Leisure - Makers of Dragon’s Lair home games

Screen Shots:

by Atari, 1982

STATUS:No Longer In the Collection

Post from old site last updated 1/19/2004

Description of game:

Nice dedicated Dig Dug. Big cabinet! Atari really made solid (and Heavy!) cabinets in the ’80s. Fun game, but an odd concept of pumping enemies up with an air pump until they burst. This game was in great shape.

Different games that this cabinet plays:

Dedicated Dig Dug cabinet

How I got it:

Picked this one up at my second bulk buy along with my Cloak & Dagger, a dedicated Time Pilot (sold already), my Galaga cocktail, and the Stargate. All this one needed was a working PCB board and it worked great. I picked the board up off the net for $40 and the game worked great. I even put a better monitor in it, since the one at the time needed a cap kit to be able to see the darker dirt towards the bottom of some of the screens.

What it still needed when it left my collection:

The game came with a Willis control panel overlay. I probably would have tried to find an original NOS overlay, since I’m not a big fan of the Willis CPO’s. They could at least match the original colors better! Other than that, this game was in great shape. I will probably try to get it back someday!

Who has it now:

It is now the property of one of my neighbors. He wanted something for his newly renovated gameroom in his basement. It’s almost depressing since I like the game. I may sneak in sometime to play it again.

Final Thoughts:

Great game, but had to sell it to make room for more favorites! Also, did anyone else notice how much of a pain these Atari cabs are? They weigh more than my car!

Links:

KLOV Dig Dug Page

Screen Shots:

by Atari, 1983

STATUS: No Longer In the Collection

Post from old site last updated 1/19/2004

Description of game:

Game based on the movie that was a minor hit in the ’80s. Initially planned to be called "Agent X", but Atari wanted to tie it to the movie. Was a conversion kit for many different games. There were a few dedicated units made, but they are very rare. Fun game to play. Plays with the same controls as Robotron, where movement is with the left joystick, and you fire with the right joystick. This was in a Defender cabinet. Was converted very well, except that the front artwork was left intact.

Different games that this cabinet plays:

As far as I know it uses its own special wiring configuration.

How I got it:

I got it with a few other games from a couple ladies that purchased a building with a bunch of old games in it. Used to be owned by an operator. I repaired the wiring, cleaned it for 3 hours, and Boom…good game. The cabinet is an original Defender, with the front graphics still intact (see photos). The C&D graphics are clean and in great condition. I also found the manual and conversion manual inside the back of the cabinet. This game is in great shape, and is an excellent piece to add to a collection.

What it still needed when I sold it:

As I mentioned before, the game was in great shape. The only things this game really needed was a better cleaning than I gave it, a new piece of clear plexiglass to cover the marquee (corner was chipped off), and that ugly security bar removed.

Who has it now:

D. Wayne Hatcher, Baltimore. Sent it to him Forward Air. However that will be the LAST and only time I use FA for any shipments. I will never ship from there again. The story from FA is that they are a shipping industry handler, not a shipper for individuals. Even though I tried to sound like a business, they said they would only ship if I were another shipping company (this is the Indianapolis site). The only way I was able to use them was this one time since it was Midnight on a Friday when I got there, three hours from home, and they felt bad for me. I had to run to a 7-11 for a money order since they wouldn’t ship COD for me. Oh well. He’s got it now, and I’ve learned a lesson.

Final Thoughts:

I am actually one of the few people I know who remembers this game from my youth. I used to love it. Now, I’m not so sure. Was a great specimen, but I didn’t have the room to keep it.

Links:

KLOV Cloak & Dagger Page
Rotheblog’s Agent X Art Project Category Page
This Old Game’s Agent X Art Reproduction Project

Screen Shots:

by Taito, 1989

STATUS: No Longer In the Collection

Post from old site last updated 3/02/2004

Description of game:

Kind of like a two-dimentional Marble Madness that uses a spinner instead of a trackball. The object is to get the ball through the maze by rotating the MAZE with a spinner while the ball stays fixed in the middle of the screen. There’s all kinds of obstacles to slow you down. It’s a jamma game, in a cabinet that looks like it was a Tetris (still has the control panel for Tetris). The cabinet was originally a Rockola cabinet, and I can’t tell what the original game was before it was a Tetris. This conversion was very clean and well done! Check out the picture of the back!

Different games that this cabinet plays:

Jamma conversion - plays any horizontal display game that uses a spinner.

How I got it:

I got this game as part of a bulk buy in February of 2003. The games were in an old movie theater that went out of business. The really strange thing about this machine is that while I was researching information on it last night, I found out that this is the actual machine whose picture is posted on the KLOV! You can tell by the Tetris control panel overlay, and the small nick in the laminate on the front left bottom corner. If you happen to know who submitted the picture, please let me know. I would love to know more about its history.

Recent repairs:

Worked fine when I got it. I did clean out the spinner mechanism with a bit of WD-40 to loosen it up some. It is a very strange gear-driven system. Most spinners have the encoder wheel directly mounted to the spinner shaft. Check out the pictures to the left. Also just swapped out the monitor. Had to flip a switch on the PCB to get it to not run upside-down.

What it still needs:

Could use a Cameltry control panel overlay if there is such a thing. I did sell it on ebay in April 2003, and I am still waiting for it to be picked up. Looks like I’ll keep it in the gameroom and play it until I hear from the buyer! At least he paid.

Final Thoughts:

Very cool game. The spinner is a perfect control for this game! Seems to be a cool game for kids.

Personal High Scores:

Nothing I want to admit!

Links:

KLOV Cameltry Page - Check out the picture…its my cabinet!

Screen Shots: